The Oyo State Government plans to reintegrate over 1.5 million out-of-school children back into the education system through the BESDA-Additional Funding-Transforming Education System at the state level program.

The government aims to bring these children, who have been absorbed into various public schools from 2017 to 2022, back to classrooms.

The announcement was made by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Adeniyi Olusanjo, during a training program in Ibadan.

The program’s objective is to target the remaining 1.5 million out-of-school children who have not yet returned to classrooms under the BESDA initiative.

Oyo State was selected by the Federal Government, World Bank, and Global Partnership for Education due to its success in implementing the BESDA program.

The figure of 1.5 million includes students from neighboring states and countries who have migrated to Oyo State to benefit from its free education policy.

The World Bank, Federal Government, and Global Partnership for Education recognized the achievements of BESDA in the state between 2017 and 2022, leading to the selection of Oyo State, Adamawa, and Katsina for the new project.

The state Coordinator of BESDA-AF-TESS, Bamidele Odekunle, emphasized the importance of school-based management committees in the success of the program.